Join the Club: Nationwide, HPE Clubs Create Camaraderie and Kick Off Careers

JOIN THE CLUB Nationwide, HPE clubs create camaraderie and kick off careers

By Hannah Dove

T

his fall, on the campuses of more than 500 colleges and universities across the country, undergraduates are taking classes and working toward the goal of becoming a health and physical education (HPE) professional.

In these first few months of the school year, new students may be wondering how to make personal connections with other students in their intended major.

Upperclass students may be thinking more about how to network with the broader HPE community and best prepare for their first job in the “real world.”

But if there’s one thing all of these students can do to make the most of the year ahead, it’s this: Join (or start) the school’s HPE Club.

STRONG CONNECTIONS Abagale Lingle first joined the PE Club at Northwest Missouri State University (NWMSU) hoping to find some camaraderie. Like many undergraduates, Lingle experienced the downside of being a college student during the pandemic.

“It was a challenging semester coming back from half a year off due to COVID-19,” recalls Lingle, who is now a senior. “Getting to know my classmates and fellow majors was nearly impossible

until I joined the PE Club. After being part of the club for only a semester, I was elected president … and my involvement in physical education took off!”

Now, in addition to serving as her university’s PE Club president, Lingle is the future professional president-elect of the Missouri Society of Health & Physical Educators (MOSHAPE) and a student leader in SHAPE America’s Undergraduate Student Leadership Network.

For college students who may be homesick or feel like they don’t fit in, joining the school’s HPE Club is a fantastic way to build connections with other students. But it’s also a great way to get guidance from mentors who can help with both academic and social progress.

PE Club members from Northwest Missouri State University were thrilled to attend the 2022 SHAPE America National Convention & Expo in New Orleans! From left: Domonique Jackson, Elaina Bladt, Abagale Lingle, and Meredith O’Neal.

“The relationship between our PE Club members and professors is incredibly strong,” says Lingle. “When walking down our halls or into the classrooms, all the professors are talking and laughing with students. When walking around campus during a sports evening or when attending conventions, alumni members are always walking up to us to talk.” (continued on next page)

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JOIN THE CLUB (continued) GREATER OPPORTUNITIES Bryanna Mieles, president of the PE Club at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), would certainly agree with Lingle. A senior majoring in sports and exercise science, Mieles also believes that starting up a PE Club if one doesn’t already exist at your school is a great way to participate in resume-building opportunities.

“A PE club has the potential to connect you with volunteer opportunities and professional development,” says Mieles, who is also a SHAPE Colorado student representative. “Our club was able to host a variety of fundraising events and in turn, we raised over $2,000. We also got a grant to attend the SHAPE America National Convention in New Orleans.”

Mieles’ sentiment is echoed by Victor Ramsey, adjunct assistant professor at The City University of New York/York College and current member of the SHAPE America Board of Directors.

“I believe that every institution of higher learning that has a HETE/PETE program should have an established majors club,” remarks Ramsey. “All students enrolled in these programs should be strongly encouraged to join their respective clubs and work diligently to advocate and help recruit as many students as possible.”

Members of the University of Northern Colorado PE Club arrived at #SHAPENOLA ready to learn and network! From left: Bryanna Mieles, Halie Blincoe, Lukas Arthur, Kayla Olsen (Mollendor), and Shea Skrzypek.

Ramsey, who joined SHAPE America (then AAHPERD) decades ago as an undergraduate student at CUNY/ York College, recalls that his physical education club was a diamond in the rough, useful to showcase his skills and find professional development opportunities.

“I used my leverage as the president,” he says. “[It was] a club that was dormant for a long time until I insisted that we should have an active majors club to motivate each other to join

As an undergraduate at CUNY/York College, Victor Ramsey, Ed.D., was president of the PE Club. Now, he is the faculty advisor for that institution’s Health, Physical Education and Movement Science Majors Club.

12 Ways to Maximize YOUR Potential This Year We asked our interviewees to share some advice for future professionals. Here are their top tips:

University of Northern Colorado PE Club President Bryanna Mieles volunteers at Malley Drive Elementary School’s Field Day event in Northglenn, CO.

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1. Join (or start) your school’s HPE Club.

2. Set goals for yourself.

3. Join a committee.

4. Reach out to your professors.

5. Get some field experience.

6. Volunteer whenever possible.

7. Attend a state or national convention.

8. Email a past educator who inspired you.

9. Seek out grants for students at your university.

10. Prioritize membership in SHAPE America and your state affiliate.

11. Keep up to date with research aligned to health and physical education.

12. Understand and prepare to embrace culturally responsive teaching practices.

Tips for Starting a Successful HPE Club professional associations and hopefully present a workshop one day — as I witnessed students in other institutions presenting.”

Ramsey remembers returning from the national convention as an undergraduate, “highly motivated and more focused on graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, starting teaching, and continuing my academic path.”

If your college doesn’t have a PE Club, Mieles suggests starting one to help build community among your peers. “Establishing that foundation within your club can provide a more supportive environment for all its members,” she says.

Not only can HPE Clubs provide a support system for students, especially for those who are having trouble getting their footing, they can also provide a way for PETE/HETE programs to support academic growth. It’s clear that future professionals who come from accredited PETE/HETE programs help ensure a competent, highquality workforce capable of teaching standards-based health and physical education in schools.

If your school doesn’t have an existing HPE Club, here are some steps you can take to start one. It will be worth the effort! n Talk

to other students in your major to generate interest, then ask a professor to serve as the faculty advisor/mentor.

n Check

with your school’s Student Affairs administration to see how you can make your club official.

n Choose n Get

a meeting location and time and stick with it.

the word out on social media!

n Reach

out to educators, businesses, schools, and community organizations for volunteer work and fundraising opportunities.

n Check

with your advisor to find out if being part of the HPE Club counts toward any professional development prerequisites.

n Think

of workshops you’d like to host.

MORE RESOURCES

n Offer

attendance at professional development events or conferences.

n Find

undergraduates to take the torch when you leave.

FUTURE GROWTH Entering the world of health and physical education means making a commitment to lifelong learning — and that wouldn’t be possible without the connections between professionals

and students, professors and graduates, alumni and retirees.

“I want other students to know there are so many amazing HPE professionals that will support your growth as a person and educator,” says Mieles. “The community (continued on next page)

Student leaders and future HPE professionals gathered at the Undergraduate Student Leadership Forum at #SHAPENOLA, which was facilitated by Bob Knipe, Ph.D. (front row).

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JOIN THE CLUB (continued) in the HPE world is phenomenal, and I hope that continues as more future professionals join because I have never felt so much support before until I started attending conferences and meeting professionals around the country.”

When asked what he would like to see preserved in the HPE community, Ramsey replies, “There is an increased awareness around EDI, social justice, and other pertinent matters surrounding culturally relevant teaching and learning. The fields of health and physical education are in a good place for advocacy and continued growth in these areas.”

One of Lingle’s wishes would be to see more undergraduate involvement in health and physical education. “I would love to see college students having a voice on every state affiliate’s executive board because we, the undergraduates, are the future of health and physical education.”

Hannah Dove is the marketing and communications coordinator at SHAPE America. She is a 2021 graduate of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

PE Club members from the University of Northern Colorado at their Bowling Night Fundraiser.

Bring on the FUN! HPE Clubs can help you make important professional connections — but they also help build camaraderie with your peers. Here are just a few of the fun activities that HPE Clubs around the country have done.

• Rock climbing at the rec center • Volunteering at a local school’s field day

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• Learning about educational gymnastics • Potluck fundraiser • Canoeing • Bowling night • Halloween blood drive • Going to a water park • Senior send-off • Hiking with professors • Attending #SHAPENOLA!

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Momentum • Fall 2022